International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society

Fostering the collecting of, and research into, sewing machines.

Thimonnier & his Sewing Machines

Hand-Written Instruction Page for the Thimonnier Sewing Machine
Chimonnier, Inventor of the Sewing Machine
A passionate defense of Thimonnier's rightful place as the first true inventor of the sewing machine, published in 1881 when his achievements were still debated and often overshadowed by later American inventors.
The Most Important Sewing Machine Find This Century
A sensational discovery in South America unveiled an incredibly rare 1830s Thimonnier machine, possibly the fourth one ever made, complete with the original hand-illustrated instruction manual that documents the first true sewing machine in history.

ISMACS is an organization totally independent of all sewing-machine manufacturers, past or present and is not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in these pages.  Please Note: Do not contact any ISMACS official in an attempt to solicit a valuation - it is not possible other than by hands-on assessment and your request will be ignored.

All rights reserved by ISMACS, under International and Pan American copyright conventions. Reproduction or copy of this page, in any form, in part or in whole, is strictly prohibited, without prior, written permission.